“…From my very existence to my recent attainment of my PhD, there is no one more directly responsible for my being here and being as I am than my mom. It is the sort of enormous debt one can never pay back but only ever hope to pay forward to children of one’s own. And no one could ever have my interests more purely at heart than she does. And no one, not even I, could be more unabashedly proud of me or anything I accomplish than she is.

“Nearly every good trait I have is either a variation or poor imitation of hers and it always brings me great pride to discover a way that I emulate her. Through whatever combinations of genetic and interpersonal influence, I have inherited, learned, and continue to aspire to acquire her icebreaking gregariousness, disarmingly self-deprecating sense of humor, open-book honesty (even with utter strangers), fierce loyalty, appreciation of people, mature self-awareness, emotional resilience, dogged principledness, reflexive hospitality, utter openheartedness, bottomless ability to forgive, scrupulous work ethic, clear-headed perspective, unshakable moral uprightness, and full-hearted, full-time devotion to love…”